And like that another year has passed and another March for Babies is around the corner! This will be the 3rd year the Loving Nest is proud to participate in the March for Babies in Boston. Last year the event took place at Fenway Park and this year it will return to the DCR Hatch Memorial Shell. This year’s walk is 2 days after my due date, so although we will not be physically there, we still want to contribute as much as possible. Tell me more about it, you say. Well, March for Babies is a wonderful cause that raises money to help give each baby a healthy beginning. The money raised not only is used in research, but also supports local programs that educate women and reduce risks during pregnancy, as well as provides comfort and information to 90,000 families with a newborn in intensive care through March of Dimes NICU Family Support®. Their involvement has also helped the U.S. premature birth rate to drop for the 7th year in a row. When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to nearly half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. How can I help? This year I won’t be physically walking, but anyone who wants to spend a nice day in Boston walking for a wonderful cause is welcome to join and represent The Loving Nest’s team. Don’t feel like walking? That’s fine too. Head over to our page and place your small (or big)...

When I found out I was pregnant I knew immediately I wanted to breastfeed my child. I am product of the 80’s, when it was said to mother’s that bottle feeding was much more hygienic and safe for babies, when family act leave was a long stretch away (I mean, maternity leave in this country is still a far stretch away, but that’s a subject for another post), and pumping wasn’t really a thing. Therefore, my mother chose to bottle feed, knowing she would return to work 6 short weeks from my birth. I like to think that both my brother and I turned out ok, independently of having been breastfed or not. However, this was something I wanted to do. Working in the pediatric field, I knew beforehand not to expect breastfeeding to be an easy breeze. “You have to try for at least two weeks”, everyone would say. “Breastfeeding is hard, but once you are past the hump, you can do it with one hand”, others would say. Much like my plans for labor and delivery (read here), I knew to expect the worst. And still, once again it was even harder than I imagined! After a “failed” birth plan, I was even more determined to make breastfeeding work. After all, I had to do something right to give my baby a healthy start, right? These were just some of the mommy guilt thoughts that would haunt my already crazy hormonal brain. Despite having ended up with a c-section, my postpartum experience at Newton-Wellesley hospital was impeccable. I was still in the recovery room right outside the OR when a loving nurse...

Hello. Welcome to my nest. This is my little corner, the place I have chosen. This is where I feel safe and warm. This is the home my journey has led me to. This is where I share, learn, listen, and provide support. Here is where you can join me. It’s not just my nest, it’s ours. A LOVING NEST. A nest where the whole family is welcome when they need a cozy place to regroup, think, and learn. A place that is here for you when you need it, that gives you tools to succeed, and that is happy to see you gain your wings, courage, and fly. I like to think I’ve lived a lot in the 30 years I’ve been in this world. I was born in the US to a family of immigrants that worked hard in a country where they spoke a language they did not know, in times where it wasn’t easy to communicate with family left behind. They worked hard but ultimately wanted to go back to their country. That meant a huge change for me at the age of 8. I was raised and grew into the person I know today in Portugal. Went to school, made lasting friendships, figured out what I wanted to be, and went to college. However, on the urge of an impulse, motivated by the difficult economical climate in Portugal and the difficulty in finding jobs, I decided to come back to where I had been born and start a life. In a very different experience than the one of my own parents, I settled in, this time with...

(Post originally from blog Two Tiny Feet, One Big Heart) It has been one month since I started the #100HappyDays Challenge. Influenced by other people whom I follow on social media, I decided that I would give it a try. How hard can it be to post something that makes you happy every day? Well, unfortunately, sometimes it is really hard. We live in a fast-paced world and rarely do we slow down to reflect upon the simpler things in life. We move along from one obligation to the next and when we realize it a week, a month, a year as flown by. For those who follow me on Facebook or Twitter you know that I started this adventure the first day I decided to stay home. So of course, my days have been a bit easier know that they are not full with the hustle and bustle of the full-time working mom days (although there is a lot to be said about the work of being a full-time mom too. But that topic I will leave for another post). And yes, I have a wonderful baby that makes me happy every day. But, to challenge myself, I try to really think of any other little or big thing that is making my life happier that day. #100HappyDays has made me a more mindful person. Everyday I am forced to look back and think about sensations, feelings, thoughts that filled my spirit with positivity. Because of #100HappyDays, I practice gratitude every day. I count my blessings. I focus on what makes me fulfilled and happy. Sometimes it is something as...